Life Changing Opinion

I was never a huge fan of running, in fact I despised it! It wasn’t until I was at my last straw in dieting that I decided to force myself to give it a solid try. My dad was a big runner and had been trying to get me into it for years. I made a promise to my self that I would stick it out for a month and just see what happens. My first couple of times running were horrible. I thought that there was no way that this would ever become part of my life. I still had another three weeks before I would give it up so I pushed myself to get through each run faster.

I had seen a flyer for a five-kilometer race that was on the same weekend that I planned to quit. I thought “what a great way to end this new found misery”, so I singed up. Each day I ran before the race I kept pushing myself harder so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself and at least finish the damn thing.

The race day finally came. When I got there, the environment was electric. People were warming up in various ways and everyone was very friendly. I felt nervous but excited at the same time. We all got set at the starting line and the thought of “what the hell am I doing” was going through my mind. The starter gun went off and I took off. My legs moved like they were possessed. By the time I got to the halfway point, I had passed a lot of people and I still felt great. As the finish line came closer, my heart took over and I started sprinting. I could hear someone behind me and I knew there was no way they were going to pass me. I pushed to the final end and crossed ahead of them. I realized right there, that running would be part of me for the rest of my life. It has also affected my family’s life in several ways. I am a much happier person and I’m sure they all enjoy being around me much more now!